Centrifugal extractor



Dec. 1, 1931.

(5. E. DITZLER CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR Filed April 24, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheetea. 1, 1931. G. E. DITZLER CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR Filed April 24, 1931fig-Z.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 1, 1931 TED STATES PATENT GUY E. BIT OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T TRIPLEX WASHING MACHINE ORAI'ION, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS cmnrrueer. ExrimoronApplication filed April 24, 1931. Serial No. 532,519.

This invention relates to improvements in centrifugal extractorapparatus and pertains particularly to such apparatus designed forembodiment, in domestic laundry ma- 5. chines of the portable or mobiletype.

A general object of the invention is the provision of a centrifugalextractor apparatus which may be embodied in a domestic laundry machinein such a manner that ac m cess may be had to the extractor cage duringoperation of the extractor, for the purpose of spraying the conten s ofthe cage for rinsing purposes, and. which is of simple, light and ruggedconstruction particularly qualifying it for use in a comparatively smallportable household appliance.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an apparatuswhich will accommodate lateral movement of the cage to 0 a limitedextent, for the purpose of relieving the machine as a whole ofundesirable vibratory effects from unbalanced loading of the centrifugalcage.

Yet another object is the provision of a construction for such apparatuswhich will admit of reduction of the overall height of the washingmachine,' and which will contribute to an arrangementrwherein themachine will have a low center of gravity.

Still another object is the rovision of such construction in which the(l effectively protected from wetting from liquid in the materialhandled.

Still another object is the provision of such an apparatus havingimproved organization of parts for controlling operation of thecentrifugal cage.

Other and further objects will be pointed out or indicated hereinafteror will be apparentto one skilled in the art upon an understanding ofthe invention or its employment in use.

Forthe purpose of this application I elect to show in the accompanyingdrawings, and described hereinafter, certain structural forms in whichthe invention may be em-.

' only, and are not to be construed in any fashriving parts are ioncalculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and mostcomprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawings,

Fig. l is a part sectional elevational view of a laundry machinecontaining a centrifugal extracting mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view, on a larger scale, of thedriving mechanism and cage support; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on substan tially line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

It is desirable that domestic laundry machines be of as compactconstruction and light weight as feasible, for convenience in housingand use. It is also of advantage to have them afford in themselves ascompletely as possible all of the receptacles requisite for completingthe washing, so that additional tubs and the like need not be utilized.Centrifugal extractors for removing free water from the washed materialare of advantage from the standpoint of rapid operation and safety, andit is of particular advantage in the use of centrifugal extractors if itis possible to spray the material while it is in the cage and while thecage is operating, for the purpose of rinsing. This permits the materialto be placed in the centrifugal extractor directly from the washing tub,and both rinsed and dewatered in the extractor, without having to besub'ected to rinsing as an intermediate or su sequent operation in someseparate receptacle.

The present invention provides a construction which affords thesevarious ad vantages, and has the further advantages that it isparticularly adapted for compact and light construction, and all of theoperating parts are disposed so as not to interfere in any fashion withthe handling of the material.

The nature of the invention will be rendered apparent by considerationof the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings.

The reference numeral 10 designates a portion of a frame structure whichconstitutes the frame for the machine, serving to sup ort the sheetmetal tubs or receptacles l1 and 12 side by side with their tops at thesame eleva trated at 14, and these legs may be carried bottom of thereceptacle.

on casters so that the machine may be rolled from place to place.Rigidly supported on the frame is a bracket member 15 which carries acollar member 16 disposed coaxially with the receptacle 11, and havingan upstanding annular flange 17 which projects through an openingin thebottom of the receptacle, said opemng being encompassed by an upstandingcylindrical collar 18 which rises to a considerable elevation above theThe collar member 16 is rigidly supported on the bracket 15, so that itwill not impart thrusts to the rece tacle.

igidly supported on the frame, and extending to a position below thecollar member 16, is a bracket member 19 which carries an upstandingpost 20. This serves as a mounting and support for the extractorcage andits operating mechanism. A drive housing 21 is mounted on this post bymeans of a gimbal pin 22 and gimbal ring 24. The top of this drivehousing includes va sleeve 25 1n 1 which is supported a collar bearing26 for the extractor shaft 27, and this sleeve also carries rigidlyaflixed thereto a tubular member 28 having a collar bearing 29 adjacentits upper end and encompassing the extractor shaft. At its upper end theextractor shaft carries a spider 301upon which is mountedthe extractorcage 31. This cage is circular in plan and its walls are perforate forthe egress of The tubular member 28 carries a are looped the coilsprings 34, the ends of which are attached to the collar member 16,

so thatthe springs will be tensioned so as to tend to retain the tubularmember in a vertical position. Within the flange 17, the tubular member28 is encompassed by a buffer sleeve 35, as of rubber, so arranged as tobuffer any possible impacts between the flange 17 and the tubular member28.

The extractor shaft is shiftable for a short distance longitudinallyrelative to the tubular member 28, and to accommodate this the bearing26 may be shiftable in the sleeve 25. At its lower end the extractorshaft has afiixed thereto a beveled'drive disk 36, the friction driveface'of which is adapted for cooperation with a beveled friction drivepulley 37. This pulley is rotatably supported in the bearin 38 mountedin the sleeve 39 on one side 0 the drive housing. Pivoted at 40 withinthe drive housing is a lifting lever 41, which extends transverselybelow the lower end of the extractor shaft. The lower end of theextractor shaft may be extended a I slight distance below the adjacentface of the "rotation of the cam will serve to lift the lever 41 intoengagement with the lower end of the extractor shaft, and then lift theshaft so as to remove the friction disk 36 from driving cooperation withthe'pulley 37. A ring of friction material 46 is mounted on the undersurface of the cover of the drive housing in position to be engaged bythe upper surface of the friction drive disk 36, when the latter issufliciently elevated as just described, and by such engagement willexercise a braking effect on the disk'and extractor shaft for thepurpose of decelerating and stopping rotation of the extractor cage.

Mounted on the machine frame, in convenient association with the drivehousing, is a motor 47, which may supply power for the operation of thewashing mechanism, and which motor is connected through the medium ofappropriate gearing in a housing 48 and a flexible drive shaft 49, withthe friction drive pulley 37. The arrangement of the flexible shaft 49is-such as to accommodate movement of the drive housing 21 in anydirection relative to the motor.

The gimbal mounting of the drive housing 21 allows the extractor cage tohave oscillatory and gyratory movement within the lim- 7 its imposed bythe collar 17. The degree of low and the center of mass being low, the'atory movement of the cage will not subect the frame to materialvibration or to im pulses tending to cause it to creep.

of liberal diameter, which is entirely unob- The cage has an axialopening at the top,

structed and therefore convenient for the charging of material into andits removal from the cage, and the area between said tub 11 1spreferably covered by a splash ring '50 which affords a central openingover the accomplish the rinsing'rapidly, and-when continued after thespraying, to extract the openin and the encompassing wall of the i freeliquid from the material quite rapidly. The collar 18 prevents theextracted liquid flowin g from the receptacle through the central bottomopening, said receptacle being suitably drained to conduct the extractedliquid to a desired place of disposal.

It will be apparent that the cage will be rotated so long as thefriction drive disk 36 is in driving cooperation with the drive pulley37, and that the driving connection will be broken by rotation of theshaft 44 to lift the lever 11 and raise the drive disk 36 out ofengagement with the pulley 37, and that the rotation of the cage will bestopped by the braking action of the braking ring 46 upon the uppersurface of the drive disk after the latter is elevated into contact withit.

l/Vhat I claim is: I

1. Extractor apparatus comprising, in combination, a supporting frame, areceptacle mounted on the frame and having a bottom aperture, a drivehousing having swivel mounting on the frame below the receptacle, anextractor shaft carried on said drive housing and extending upwardlytherefrom and into the receptacle through said aperture, an extractorcage carried by said shaft Within the receptacle, a drive wheelconnected with the lower end of said shaft, a drive pulley journaled onthe drive housing in position for driving cooperation with said wheel, amotor, and a flexible transmission member operably connecting said motorwith said drive pulley and permitting swivel movement of said drivehousing and the parts carried thereby relative to said motor.

2. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including also means forshifting said drive wheel out of driving cooperation with said drivepulley.

3. Apparatus as specified in claim 1' and including also a brake memberassociated with said drive wheel and means for shifting said drive Wheelinto braking cooperation with said brake member.

4. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including also 'a tubularmember encompassing said shaft and rigidly connected with said drivehousing and a collar member rigid ly supported on the frame andencompassing said tubular member, said collar member having portionsadapted for cooperation with said tubular member to limit the extent ofmovement of the same eccentrically of the receptacle.

5. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including a lifting membermounted on the drive housing and adapted for engagement With the lowerend of said shaft, and means for moving said lifting member to lift theshaft and remove said wheel from driving cooperation with the drivepulley.

6..Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including means adjustable tomaintain said drive wheel and drive pulley out of driving cooperation.

7 Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and wherein the extractor cage has aconcentric top opening affording access to the interior thereof forspraying the contents of the cage while it is rotating.

8. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including a bracket memberrigidly supported on the frame and extending under the receptacle andaffording the support for the drive housing.

9. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including spring means arrangedbelow the receptacle and effective to urge the drive housing to aposition wherein the shaft is approximately vertical.

10. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including also a tubularmember encompassing the shaft and rigidly connected to the drive housingand yieldable centering means cooperating with said tubular member andtending to urge the same to approximately vertical position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GUY E. DITZLER

